Ready in 20 minutes, these garlic butter noodles are a quick and easy side dish the whole family will love! Tender pasta is coated in a rich, buttery sauce that is loaded with fresh garlic and parmesan cheese.
Why We Love These Garlic Butter Noodles
We grew up in a family that loved garlic, so it’s no surprise that this garlic butter noodles recipe is a favorite in our home. We love pairing them with a juicy cast iron steak or our favorite baked lemon pepper chicken, but they are the perfect side dish for just about anything! To get in your veggies, you can even stir in some roasted broccoli or sautéed mushrooms. No matter how you serve them, these noodles are always a hit! Here’s why you will love them too:
- Garlic Lovers Dream: If you love garlic, these garlic butter noodles are for you! The rich, buttery and flavorful sauce clings to every strand of tender pasta.
- Quick & Easy: Perfect for those nights when you don’t have much time, these garlicky noodles are super simple to make and ready in just 20 minutes!
- Budget-Friendly: Made with just a few simple ingredients, this recipe is easy on the wallet while still tasting like a restaurant-quality dish.
- Kid Approved: Even picky eaters can’t say no to these buttery noodles!
Craving more garlicky goodness? Check out easy recipes like garlic butter spread, garlic parmesan rice, and garlic confit.
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this butter garlic noodles recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Angel Hair Pasta: While you can swap these with virtually any noodle you want, angel hair is definitely our favorite to use for garlic butter noodles for the best ratio of sauce to noodle.
- Olive Oil: Avocado oil is a great swap.
- Garlic: Measure with your heart, garlic lovers! Since garlic is the star of the show here, we really recommend using fresh garlic (not pre-minced or jarred).
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Add more or less depending on how spicy you want your noodles. We usually omit the red pepper flakes from the kids and sprinkle them on top just for the adults.
How to Make Butter and Garlic Noodles
This addictive, easy garlic butter noodles recipe comes together in just 20 minutes. Your kitchen is going to be smelling amazing once that garlic hits the hot skillet! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions.
- Cook the pasta: Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain pasta, but do not rinse.
- Sauté the garlic: When the pasta is almost finished cooking, add the olive oil and butter to a skillet over medium-low heat to melt. Add in the minced garlic and sauté just until it’s good and fragrant. If you like a slightly nuttier flavor, let the garlic brown a bit more (just be careful not to burn it).
- Toss the pasta: Add the cooked pasta into the skillet toss to coat in the buttery garlic mixture.
- Add the final touches: Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add the parmesan cheese and parsley, and lightly toss to combine. Serve immediately with crushed red pepper flakes on top, if desired!
Cook’s Tips & Variations
- Swap the Pasta: While angel hair is our go-to for buttered noodles, you can use any type of pasta you have on hand. Spaghetti, linguine, or even bow-tie pasta are great for a fun twist.
- Cheesy: Add as much parmesan cheese as your heart desires! For even more cheesy goodness, mix some mozzarella cheese, or fontina cheese, into the still-warm pasta for a gooey, cheesy twist.
- Squeeze of Lemon: A little fresh lemon juice added right at the end will brighten up the dish and balances the richness of the butter.
- Fresh Garlic: While pre-minced garlic (or as the internet calls it, jarlic) isn’t the worst thing in the world, it’s not the best fit for this recipe. The flavor and aroma of fresh minced garlic goes a long way in this simple garlic butter noodles recipe.
- Vegetable Add-Ins: Steamed or parmesan roasted broccoli, garlicky roasted cherry tomatoes, roasted cauliflower or sautéed mushrooms all will add some extra nutrients!
What to Serve with Garlic Butter Noodles
- Add Protein: Buttered noodles pair perfectly with entrees like our air fryer mahi mahi, easy baked chicken breasts, juicy cast iron steak and our southern fried pork chops.
- Vegetable Add-Ins: Steamed or parmesan roasted broccoli, garlicky roasted cherry tomatoes, roasted cauliflower or sautéed mushrooms all will add some extra nutrients!
Yield: 4 servings
Garlic Butter Noodles
These garlic butter noodles are an addictive and easy side dish ready in just 20 minutes! Tender noodles are coated in a buttery sauce that's exploding with flavor from lots of fresh garlic and parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 8 oz angel hair pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or avocado oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2-4 tablespoons minced garlic, measure with your heart
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley, or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- salt and pepper, to taste
- crushed red pepper flakes, optional, to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain pasta, but do not rinse.
- When the pasta only has a few minutes of cook time left, add olive oil and butter to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the minced garlic and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes. Watch the garlic closely, you do not want it to get brown, if the garlic is cooking too quickly lower the heat.
- Add the cooked pasta into the skillet toss with the garlic mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add the parmesan cheese and parsley, and lightly toss to combine. Serve immediately, with crushed red pepper flakes on top, if desired!
Notes
Store: While best served fresh, you can store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. We do not recommend freezing these noodles.
Reheat: Simply warm them in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water or a bit of butter to revive the sauce. You can also reheat them in the microwave in 30 second intervals, until warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 402kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 315mg, Potassium: 190mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 774IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 138mg, Iron: 1mg
